The 2014 FIFA World Cup is quickly approaching. The Cup officially starts on June 6 with the opening match between the hosting team, Brazil and Croatia. Thirty-two of the best teams from around the world will be competing to be the World Cup champion of 2014.
The tournament works first as group play and then single elimination. The thirty-two teams are split into eight groups of four. In each group every team will play one game with each of the three other teams. Each team will receive points based on the outcome of the games. A win is worth three points, a draw is worth one point and a loss is worth no points. At the end of the three games the top two teams will be seeded into the elimination round of the tournament. From this point on one loss means game over for the teams still competing. The sixteen remaining teams compete in tournament style play to the finish.
This year the US has tough competition to make it out of group play. Germany, Ghana, and Portugal will be the competition to make it out of group play. Germany and Portugal are both top-rated teams worldwide and Ghana is the team that has eliminated the US from the last two World Cups in the first round of elimination both years. But there is no reason that our team can’t fight such odds. This year’s US men’s team is one of the best teams that the US has seen in years. They broke the US record for the longest winning streak in the history of US men’s soccer with a 12 game win streak, including a first place at the North and South American Gold Cup this year. Keep your eyes open for an exciting World Cup this summer.